The present invention relates to an occupant impact protection system, in particular for a motor vehicle, with an airbag that when triggered is to be inflated from its folded installed condition and furthermore with at least one gas generator, which is to be activated by means of an ignition apparatus and which contains a gas-producing material for producing the quantity of gas required to inflate the airbag.
Such occupant impact protection systems are known in a multiplicity of embodiments and today are installed in great numbers in mass-produced automobiles. During driving operations, when a critical accident situation occurs, sensors arranged appropriately in the vehicle trigger the gas generators, which then inflate the airbags, which are installed at different positions in the vehicle, by introducing therein the gas produced by the gas generators.
With a view especially toward multiple collisions or a vehicle rolling over several times during a prolonged accident period, the occupant impact protection system should have a sufficient service life, especially the airbags, and for this reason in many areas of the vehicle there are solid impact elements made of foamed plastics. Secondly, the inflated airbags should dampen the impact of the occupant on the airbag by intentionally discharging the gas that has been introduced (ventilation). Embodying a hose-like side airbag is known from U.S. Pat. No. 5,322,322; the airbag has an internal rubber bladder and an external airbag material. The known airbag is thus very dense and consequently does have a prolonged service life. However, in the case of head impact, it is so hard that it can only absorb a limited amount of energy and therefore causes the rebound effect, which is to be avoided.
The object of the present invention is therefore to embody an occupant protection system with the aforesaid features such that the protective effect of an inflated airbag is maintained beyond the service life of the gas-inflated airbag.